Chapter 6: The Final Day of Preparation
"Well, since we have covered our training for this mission, we will go out for supplies today," Kakashi explained to his impatient students. It was raining and they had been waiting for a while on the details of what they were supposed to do that day, so they were drenched.
"That's it...nothing exciting?" Naruto asked depressed. He had been hoping for a challenge.
"That's it. I think we had enough excitement yesterday, don't you think?" Kakashi replied with a small smile.
"No," Naruto muttered through chattering teeth.
"Come on now. Before we all get sick."
The four of them walked towards the market place to get their supplies for their mission.
Tenten sighed with disbelief. Gai-Sensei was late. That seemed almost impossible to her. He was never late. Just like Lee was never late, but he did everything that Gai did.
Lee was on the ground in the fetal position, just shaking and crying there. Gai had only been "missing" or whatever for an hour. That was incredible for him though.
Neji was just acting like it was no big deal, leaning against the wall of a building with his arms crossed over his chest. But really he was kind of worried too. Where was he?
About another hour or so, he still hadn't shown up.
Lee was still in the same condition as he had been before. Tenten was sitting beside him and had somehow calmed him down a little.
Then, an elderly woman walked past them. Lee looked up at her as she began to walk past the three of them. He suddenly cried out and burst into tears again. The woman was so startled, she ran past them quickly, without looking straight, and ran into a cart being pushed by a young man in a hurry. She fell onto her back, unconscious.
"Lee, what was that all about?" said Tenten surprised.
"She had the same hair color as Gai's mother!" he replied between sobs.
"Lee, your grandmother has gray hair!" Tenten yelled at him, causing him to start crying uncontrollably again. "Oh Lee, please don't cry again. I'm sorry."
"What's going on here?
All three of them turned their heads to face the owner of the familiar voice.
"GAI-SENSEI!" Lee shouted before jumping up and embracing his teacher.
"Where were you?" Tenten asked relieved.
"Well...you see, as I made my way down here, I saw this elderly woman who asked me to do her a favor and it seems it took this long to do."
"What did you have to do?"
"Shave her cat." He sounded as if that were something that happened every day.
Neji stared at him as if he were a complete idiot.
Tenten just stared at him wide-eyed and her mouth hanging loosely.
"Hey! That's her over there!" Gai pointed at the elderly woman now buried in the fruit that was in the cart. A crowd had begun to gather around her.
The woman moaned as she sat up, causing the fruit covering her face and neck to roll off.
"You!" she shouted while pointing at Lee, "You're the one who caused me to run into that cart!" Flames were in her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry ma'am. It-It was and accident," Lee stuttered.
The woman didn't say anything. She got up and raised her hand bag as if it were a sword she was going to use to cut through him with. The flames never left her cold, black eyes.
"Ah!" Lee started to run, forgetting that it was just an old woman.
She suddenly saw Gai.
"Oh, hello! You're the one I asked to shave my Fluffy," she said in a sweet voice, forgetting Lee.
"Yes. And he is at home, waiting for you now," Gai still sounded like it was nothing strange or unusual.
"Why thank you," she handed him a hundred dollar bill and walked off, kicking Lee in the shin when she passed by him. He grabbed his leg and winced. She kicked hard.
Tenten gaped at the amount of money the woman had given him.
"Maybe I should shave her cat sometime," she mumbled.
"OKAY TEAM! Let's get the supplies for the mission like planned," Gai announced and event eh crowd stared at him.
Neji shrugged and they walked (or limped in Lee's case) toward the store a block down.
Jin: Gai scares me...
Chi: I think he's ok.
Frailor: You scare me, Chi.
Jin: Oh well, please review!